New alleged AMD Zen 5 Strix Point laptop CPU benchmarks could be bad news for desktop PCs

New alleged benchmarks have surfaced online for the upcoming AMD Zen 5 Strix Point processors that showcase their productivity performance. 

As highlighted by prominent hardware leaker HXL on Twitter, an engineering sample featuring a Strix Point CPU has been reportedly benchmarked via Blender with a score of 270.92. As a frame of reference, this mobile chipset supposedly beats out the desktop processors, the Ryzen 7 7700X and Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

Two benchmarks were run so there’s not the widest field of testing, however, if verifiable, it’s an early glimpse of the what Team Red’s upcoming AI chipsets could do. It’s unclear which Strix Point CPU these benchmarks could be referring to, and the current power limits given it’s an early engineering sample, but the results are promising. 

According to the ranking, the Strix Point CPU benched still fell behind the older Intel Core i7-12700F and mobile Intel Core i7-13850HX. While it’s believed to be a 12-core processor, the CPU is claimed to have four performance cores and eight effiency cores, hence why it could be falling behind Alder Lake and non-hybrid chipsets. 

In earlier Strix Point CPU leaks we’ve reportedly seen processors with lower clock speeds and larger NPUs, as the architecture is a massive departure from desktop hardware. The top end of the lineup is rumored to be the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 170 which is believed to feature 12 cores and 24 threads with a 77 TOPS NPU. 

AI computing is an entirely different ball game

While it’s encouraging to see the Strix Point CPUs holding their own against desktop rivals, this upcoming line of processors ultimately plays by their own rules. With seemingly lower clock speeds and more focus on the NPU (Neural Processing Unit, a part of the chip dedicated to AI tasks) over raw power, it seems like the future of Team Red’s mobile hardware is more about efficiency. 

It’s in direct contrast to the trend we’ve typically seen from the last handful of CPU generations. Traditionally, processors have strived to have faster clock speeds and higher TDPs to compensate. Now, the pendulum appears to be swinging the other way, with lower power wattages and smaller clock speeds, with more E-cores. 

We’ll likely get our first official reveal of Strix Point hardware during Computex 2024 which is scheduled for early June. Leaks and speculation are pointing towards this date with the more we uncover about the mobile silicon. 

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Aleksha McLoughlin is an experienced hardware writer. She was previously the Hardware Editor for TechRadar Gaming until September 2023. During this time, she looked after buying guides and wrote hardware reviews, news, and features. She has also contributed hardware content to the likes of PC Gamer, Trusted Reviews, Dexerto, Expert Reviews, and Android Central. When she isn’t working, you’ll often find her in mosh pits at metal gigs and festivals or listening to whatever new black and death metal has debuted that week.